Rats eat marijuana in New Orleans evidence room: "They're all high," police chief says

The only creatures that seem to be enjoying the decaying New Orleans Police Department headquarters are the rats in the building's evidence room, officials said this week.

"The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high," NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick testified at a city Criminal Justice Committee meeting on Monday.

The dilapidation extends beyond the evidence room. According to CBS affiliate WWL-TV, the NOPD headquarters on Broad Street is so overrun by rats and roaches that staff come in to find rat droppings on their desks, Kirkpatrick said. 

The building's air conditioners are broken and its elevators don't work, WWL-TV reported Monday.

"When we say we value our employees, you can't say that, and at the same time, allow people to work in conditions that are not acceptable," Kirkpatrick told the committee. 

Council members at Monday's committee meeting voted to approve a lease for a new building for the NOPD, according to WWL. The new 10-year lease would cost the city $670,000 per month, which is still cheaper than the $30 million it would cost to fix the current headquarters, Gilbert Montano, the city's chief administrative officer, told WWL.

"Where you work, where you live, if it is not appropriate is going to always impact morale, so that has been a big factor," Kirpatrick told WWL following the meeting. 

If the full council signs off on the new lease, the city's police department will be rat-free by this summer. 

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• Rat
• New Orleans

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.